If It Is The Last Thing I Do
by A.R. Van Halleorg
Summary: Emma didn't get to Regina in time to save her from the wraith, but she'll get her back. If it is the last thing she does.
1. Prologue

**I finally managed to get myself to sit down and start writing again. Hope you'll enjoy this story. I know it's got a bit of feels, but I hope it'll be good. Not used to this sort of a story, so here goes.**

* * *

Regina was gone.

Snow and Charming stood gaping at the lifeless form of the Evil Queen, while Emma sat back on her heels; shock etched across her features.

It wasn't until Snow placed a hand on her shoulder, that Emma finally snapped to attention. She wrenched herself away from her mother's grasp and crawled forward to Regina's side. "Regina?" she said in a broken whisper. A shaking hand reached out to brush aside the dark locks of hair marring the woman's features, and let out an audible whimper when there was no longer a barrier between her and the deathly stillness of the Mayor's presence. She was gone.

"Emma," Snow began, but Charming held her back with a shake of his head. It was obvious, despite what they felt about the woman, that their daughter felt something for her. Emma had saved them all; she deserved this moment to grieve whatever complex relationship she had with Regina.

Emma drew Regina into her arms and rested her head in her lap. "Regina, please," she pleaded, sounding more pitiful than she'd ever done in her life. "Please." She placed a kiss on cooling lips and drew her head back. She looked expectantly at her face, but nothing changed. She kissed her again and again, each kiss more urgent than the last. She cried out in desperate frustration and felt hands on her. She wrenched herself away from them once more. "Let me go!" She looked back down at the beautiful face beneath her own. "Regina! Wake up! You need to come back...for Henry. Come back to me..." She kissed her again, but this time it was her father who grabbed her and pulled her away.

"Stop this!" he commanded in her ear, holding her close to his chest. "Stop," he said again when she tried to fight him off. "She's gone, Emma."

Emma struggled a bit more and finally broke down, sobs wracking her entire body. Why did this hurt so much? She'd hated the woman for so long, so why did this feel like everything had been torn from her? "Why? Why does this hurt so much?" she whispered to her parents, begging for an explanation.

Snow stepped closer, gulped audibly, and touched Emma's shoulder, afraid she would try to move away again. "Emma...I think that maybe...maybe you might have loved her."

As insane as that sounded to the Sheriff's ears, it also made a lot of sense. She suddenly felt even more depressed. She'd loved her, but it hadn't been enough. Too little, too late. "Except it wasn't true enough to save her," she said.

Snow shook her head. "Emma, I don't think you can bring a soul back with True Love's kiss."

She couldn't bring a soul back? So the soul was somewhere? Emma pulled away from her father and looked at Snow. "What?"

"You can't undo what a wraith has done with True Love's kiss," she stated more clearly. "It takes your soul, you heard Regina. There isn't anything in her that could come back to you."

Emma stepped closer to her mother then, her eyes greedy. "Tell me how to find her." Regina's soul was out there somewhere and she would get it back.

"Emma, she's gone," Charming broke in kindly, trying to be as gentle as he could.

"If it has her soul, she's not dead, not really." Emma looked between her parents, expecting a magical solution.

"Emma-" Charming didn't have the solution.

"No!" she turned on her father. "She's not dead. I will find her," she insisted with a look that harboured no room for argument. "I will find her, if it is the last thing I do."


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I have 4 script documents, which I've been translating over to prose. I had to start somewhere, so this is the first update. I know it's not very long, but there are several updates coming up in the next week or two, so please bear with me. Eventually, I WILL get used to prose. Eventually. Or I'll have to go join the writing staff on the show and force them to let me script Swan Queen.**

**Hope you enjoy,**

**Cheers**

**A.R.**

* * *

Henry had fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for his mother to get home. Any other night, he would have simply gone up to his room and ignored her when she came to tuck him in, but something had felt off, so he'd made his way into the lounge instead.

A loud knocking came from the front door, echoing around the emptiness of the mansion. It came again and again.

Henry finally woke up and leapt up from the couch, running straight for the door. He pulled it open and found his grandfather on the other side. "Gramps?"

"Hey, Kid," Charming said, scratching the back of his head, looking a little awkward.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, not unkindly, but wondering why it was him, instead of his mother. "Did something happen?"

"Emma asked me to come get you."

"Why? Where's my Mom?" Red flags were going off in Henry's mind.

"Emma's-"

"No. My Mom. Where is she?" Henry corrected.

"I'll explain once we get to Mary Margaret's, okay?"

"No." Henry took a step back from his grandfather. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me."

"Henry-"

"No!" Henry felt his eyes well up with tears. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that something really bad must have happened to his mother. Why else would he be so reluctant to tell him now? Why else would Emma have sent someone else, instead of coming for him herself? "Is she… She's dead, isn't she?"

Charming knelt before Henry, grabbing hold of his wrists, before he could back away again. "Henry, she-" he began, but stopped to shake his head. This wasn't how he had planned to tell the boy at all. "Yes," he said finally. He looked up at the pained expression, feeling his own heart hurt a little. "I'm sorry, Henry. She's gone."

Henry launched himself into his grandfather's arms and burst into tears.

Charming simply held on, giving him the comfort he needed right then. He may have had a rocky past with Regina, but he could do this for her. Be there for her son. Once he calmed down a little, he'd tell him what happened.

* * *

Emma sat down, Indian-style, next to Regina's lifeless body. She had yet to move her from the town hall. "You're an idiot, Madam Mayor," she muttered. "How could you be so stupid?" she asked, trying to sound tough; trying to sound put together. That's the only way to get through pain in this world, she thought.

"Emma…" Snow frowned at her daughter. Insulting someone when they were dead was probably a bad idea.

"I don't care, Mary Margaret. She's still an idiot and what she did was stupid. We could have helped her, but no, she just runs off, all stubborn and shit. Look where that got her? She's dead! How am I going to explain this to Henry? How am I going to tell him that I broke my promise to keep his mother safe? I promised him that I wouldn't let her die!" Emma was shouting by the end of her rant, her face contorted in pain. She knew she probably looked hideous right now, but that's how she felt inside.

"Oh, Emma," Snow dropped down to her knees next to her daughter and grabbed hold of her right-hand. "Emma, look at me, please," her voice pleading, trying to get her to look away from Regina for even a moment.

Emma tried to look, but as soon as she made eye contact with the sympathetic face of her once best friend, turned mother, she felt the tears come again. She turned away, angry that she couldn't control these new emotions. What was the point of having them when it might already be too late?

"You can listen instead," Snow whispered. "You did everything you could to keep her safe, Emma. It wasn't your fault that she ran away. He'll understand that." Snow waited for any form of reaction to her words, but it never came. The blonde just sat silent, tears on her cheeks and her eyes watching the brunette's quiet face.

"I have to save her," Emma whispered, purposely ignoring what her mother said.

"I know," Snow whispered back, and she meant it.

"I can't let her stay this way," Emma reiterated.

"I know."

Emma let out a whimper. "This hurts so much."

Snow could actually feel an ache in her chest at her daughter's words. She sounded so broken. She let go of her hand and pulled her into a hug, smiling a little when she felt her return it. She wasn't sure if she'd ever really be okay with the situation, but she had to face the irrefutable truth that the Evil Queen; her once mortal enemy, was her daughter's true love.

Had she not witnessed it herself, she might not have believed it possible, but it was forever burned into her memory now. As life left Regina's body, Emma had gone completely still, no longer fighting Charming's attempt to hold her back. There was a moment of realisation, right before pain wracked her body and she gasped, over and over, struggling to breath, as though the wraith were trying to steal her life too. Then the wraith was gone and deep, pained sobs filled the room. Grief as though they'd shared a lifetime of love, even though neither had ever known.

Emma pulled away from the hug and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Emma looked at Regina's body once more, only this time she seemed to be searching for something.

"What is it?" Snow asked, trying to figure out what it could be.

"Where you came from; Fairy Tale Land," Emma began, "You can preserve someone's body, right? I mean, in the stories, they say that you were placed in a glass coffin, until Prince Charming woke you with true love's kiss, right?" Emma mind raced.

"Yes, but-"

"The curse is broken and magic is back," Emma stated. If she could just keep Regina's body safe, just until she came up with a real plan, it might buy her enough time to save her. "Tell me how to keep her safe, please?"

Snow couldn't say 'no' to the look on Emma's face. She was so full of hope. No, she would get the dwarves to help, if she could.

* * *

Regina sat up and gasped for air. She tried to look around, but couldn't see anything. Where was she? Why was everything so dark?


	3. Chapter 2

**So someone asked me what my inspiration for this story was, here it is: P!nk – Just Give Me A Reason. If you know the lyrics, you'll probably notice that I'm weaving the song into the story, through the Swan Queen moments(together and apart) you'll see as we go along. Thought it would be fun :D**

**Meanwhile, if someone could go make a video for that song, please!? :D**

**As usual, I hope you enjoy!**

**Cheers,**

**A.R.**

* * *

Regina groaned and threw a hand up to her head, where her fingers met cloth. What happened? Where was she and was this a blindfold or a bandage? The pain clearly indicated an injury.

A woman shushed her and drew her hand away from the bandages. "You mustn't play with that," she said. "You were hurt."

There was something familiar about the woman's voice that tugged at the back of Regina's memory, but she couldn't be sure where she'd heard it before. "I had realised that," Regina rasped, her throat sore from misuse. How long had she been out? "Who are you?"

"Here, take this," the woman spoke again, gently grasping Regina's hand and placing a tin cup in her palm. "It's only water," she assured her.

"Who are you?" Regina repeated, merely to assess whether this unknown woman might be trying to poison her instead. She coughed again, desperate to sooth the dryness, but refused to drink until she had answers.

The woman sighed. "You probably don't remember me, Your Majesty, but I am Princess Aurora."

Regina let out a gasp and coughed again. She hadn't heard that name in years. Maleficent's Princess. "I do. I remember you."

Aurora was a little surprised by that, but didn't say anything. Instead, she nudged Regina's hands. "You need to drink. I promise I haven't poisoned it, if that's what you're concerned about."

Regina lifted the cup and moved it to her lips, stopping to sniff, before gulping the entire thing in one go. She held it back out and heard a quiet chuckle. She didn't care if it was poisoned at this point. It wasn't like she didn't deserve it. She felt the cup dip a little as it was filled and immediately gulped down the entire thing once more. She lowered the cup to her lap and faced the princess, though she couldn't see her. "What happened to me?"

"There was a creature," Aurora began. "We didn't know where it, or you, came from, but you both appeared near our camp. It was trying to kill you."

"A wraith," Regina said, remembering the soul sucker in her cell at the Sheriff's station.

"That's what Mulan said it was," Aurora confirmed. "Phillip, my Prince, he saved you," she said, a sadness in her voice.

Regina felt a coldness in her chest. "Did he...?"

"Yes." Aurora spoke quickly, as though lingering words might hurt more. "There was a chain around your neck; a medallion hanging from it. He thought that if he removed it, you might be safe, so he grabbed it and pulled it off."

"He was marked," Regina stated, understanding what had happened now. She reached out, trying to find the young woman's hand, but it was Aurora who grabbed hold of her hand instead. "I'm sorry," she whispered and felt that she truly meant it. A young man who undoubtedly knew of her reputation, who she'd never met, had risked his life to save her. It was a kindness that hadn't been afforded her in so very long. "I'm so very sorry, Dear. It should have taken me."

"Don't. Don't be sorry," Aurora said, her voice strong, but heart-broken. "You needed help and he reacted. Once he realised he had the mark, we said goodbye. I'm terribly sad to have lost him, but the blame does not lie with you. The one who cursed you is the one to blame."

Regina drew her hands back, surprised by the words. "But you know who I am."

"You are the Queen."

"I am the Evil Queen, Dear. Surely you know of the things I've done? You should be angry with me."

"Will it bring him back if I am angry?" Aurora asked gently, knowing the woman would see reason.

"It might make you feel better," Regina offered weakly.

"I used to know Snow White. Did you know that?" Aurora asked. "She used to talk about you all the time and how she wished you'd run off and marry the man you loved. She was too young then, but I was already a young woman. I knew there was something amiss with the story she told. When her father died and your reign began, I understood it better then. You were a woman taking out her anger for some wrongdoing."

Regina turned her face away from the Princess. A part of her was furious with Snow for having spoken to anyone about Daniel, but another part of her was thankful, since this Princess had clearly understood what so many had refused to see. "I was," she admitted quietly, her voice suddenly thick with emotion. She was glad for the bandages covering her eyes.

"Your anger destroyed your entire world," Aurora said. "Not just inside, but the world outside as well. Our land has been ravaged by the curse you enacted. Can you see why I don't wish to be angry? Why I choose instead to honour my love's sacrifice for doing the right thing?"

Regina was reluctant to agree, because agreeing would be admitting that she'd dishonoured the love she had with her precious Daniel. A loud thud startled her and she flinched.

"I found dinner," another's voice spoke up. That must be Mulan.

"Really, Mulan? You didn't have to startle her."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I startle you, Your Majesty?" Mulan snarked at Regina.

"It's fine, Dear. Mulan, is it?" Regina played it cooler than she felt. The woman didn't respond, but that didn't deter her. "Perhaps, the two of you might call me Regina. Seeing as you're currently caring for me, it seems strange for you to call me Your Majesty." Truth be told, it wasn't something she wished to be identified with any longer. She'd become accustomed to being the Mayor of Storybrooke and being a mother. She just wanted to get home as soon as she could.

"It's nice to meet you, Regina," Aurora grasped Regina's hand and released it before the brunette could respond. She headed back to the fire and began readying the pan to cook.

Regina simply sat by, surprised again by the Princess and her words. She was offering her a second chance; something she never imagined she could have in fairy tale land.

* * *

Emma sat by Regina's body in the morgue. She hadn't moved in the hour since they'd brought her in. She would wait and guard her body until Mary Margaret- no, her mother, returned with news from the dwarves.

Emma reached out and grasped a chilled hand, looking at Regina's quiet face. "If you want to help out a little and just, I dunno, come back to your body? That would be fine right about now."

Several moments passed, without any sign of life.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Emma muttered.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You've inspired me to truck on! Any feedback is appreciated! Unless you want to say I suck. Then I choose to ignore you :D lol jk.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Been a while. Sorry. I'm working insane hours on a full-time job and contract, so I haven't had too much time to write.**

**Still trucking on. I realize that the timeline of this story probably feels like it's going on forever, since it's a whole lot of words for a little over 24 hours, but hey, that's fine. I got a lot to cover for the setup.**

**Hope you enjoy,**

**Cheers,**

**AR**

* * *

The diner was in upheaval. Voices shouted over the other, vying for the attention of their beloved Queen; anything to stop the woman from committing a grave error. She'd made the mistake of sitting at a booth, getting cornered by the mayhem.

Over by the counter, Red was trying to stop her Granny from arming her crossbow. "Gran, really. Is that necessary?"

"Do you see these people? They've gone wild!" Granny said, knocking the bolt back. "It's best to be prepared if a revolt is about to start in my diner."

"I really don't think that's necessary," Red insisted. "I'm sure Snow knows what she's doing."

"I'm not so sure of that," Granny stated, wryly, watching the people around their Queen.

Red sighed. "Yeah, I'm not so sure about that either."

"Please!" Snow beseeched. "Everyone, please, remain calm!" she enunciated between each word.

"Calm? You're out of your mind, Sister, if you think we're going to help _her_!" Grumpy shouted over the others. A few shouted their agreement; while the others quieted down to hear what more he had to say.

"Grumpy. You're being unreasonable. I know that-"

"_I'm_ being unreasonable?" Grumpy scoffed. "After everything that witch has done to us; to you. How can you sit there and ask us to help her?"

More shouts of agreement. Voices louder than before, each louder than the last.

"QUIET!" Grumpy shouted then, looking like his namesake. Didn't people realize that he was trying to argue here?

Snow looked a little thankful for the interruption. Her ears rang with the sudden silence. "I understand that this is difficult; she's done a lot of awful things to us all."

"She cursed us to another land," Grumpy growled.

"She ripped my mother's heart out!"

"She ate the weaver's baby!" Everyone turned to look Dopey, who immediately looked embarrassed. "Okay, so that last one might not have happened."

Grumpy rolled his eyes.

Snow sighed. "I know what she's done and I missed out on my daughter's life, because of the Queen's curse. I can't ever get that back."

"Then why do you want to help her?"

"Because this isn't about Regina. This is about Emma; Emma who saved us all, Grumpy. She broke the curse and after everything she's been through in her life, I think she finally deserves to be happy."

"I'm sure she could find someone else. Who wouldn't want to marry the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming? The Queen is finally dead. Let her stay that way."

"Grumpy…"

"No. Just because you decided to abandon your kid in some tree, doesn't mean that the rest of us need to risk our lives for her happiness."

A part of Snow was furious that one of her dearest friends could say such a thing to her, but mostly it just hurt to hear him be so blunt about what she and Charming had done to save them all. She willed herself to stay strong. She had to be, if she was going to be any good to Emma. "Grumpy, I was there. I watched the wraith take Regina's life. You don't know what it's like to watch your daughter fall to her knees, writhing like it was she who was losing her soul instead."

Several of the townsfolk looked around at one another, wondering what that was about.

"She felt every moment of Regina's death," Snow supplied the confused looks, hoping they'd understand, but their faces didn't seem to register it. "My daughter; who has never done us any harm… She didn't know that Regina was her true love, not until that very moment, and it was too late. She'd only just discovered it and it was already gone." She shook her head. "She never asked for any of this. She didn't want to be the saviour. She didn't ask to be Regina's True Love. It simply happened to her."

Each of the dwarves looked down, a little ashamed that they'd been so quick to judge Snow's decision to ask for the glass coffin.

Snow looked at each of them, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I'm not asking you to find a way to bring her back. I'm asking you to make her a coffin, like the one you made for me. Some of you know what it's like to lose the person you love. Emma is hurting. I'm asking you to help me help her."

The dwarves and the others looked sufficiently cowed after her heartfelt plea. How could they deny her her request if she used those eyes and all her words?

Snow was right. Emma hadn't asked for any of it, and she'd saved them all. She might not even find a way to bring her back; they'd simply be preserving the old Queen's body.

Grumpy let out a heavy sigh. He really hated that he always caved for love. "Could you wait over there?" he pointed to where Red and Granny stood, the elder still armed with a crossbow.

"Of course," Snow said and wriggled out of the booth as soon as the path was made clear. She eyed the weapon. "What's that for?"

"In case of a revolt," Granny stated.

Snow looked to Red, who simply shrugged.

* * *

Emma had fallen asleep on the floor, propped up against the far wall, and snored loudly. She was definitely going to have a sore neck after.

The door of the morgue burst open and Snow entered the cold room. Her eyes sought Emma out, who was already getting up off the floor. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," Emma said and coughed, clearing the sleep from her voice. "What did they say?"

"It took a little convincing, but they agreed to help." She stepped aside and pointed down the hall, where the men could be seen, carrying a glass coffin on their shoulders.

Emma was speechless, watching as the coffin came further into view of the morgue lights. She felt tears of relief spring to her eyes. "How did you make it so fast?" she asked them.

"All in the magic, Sister," Grumpy led his brother dwarves into the room.

Snow rested a hand on Emma's arm, drawing her attention from the coffin being lowered to the ground next to the table. "It'll work, Emma. It'll keep her frozen in time, until you find a way to save her," she promised.

"What about the rigor-"

"Once inside the coffin, the old Queen's body will return to its previous glow. She'll look like she simply fell asleep," Doc explained from behind the table.

Emma didn't ask more. They must know what they were doing, since they'd done this for her mother before.

"Do you know where you're going to keep her?" Snow asked.

Emma turned back to her mother and nodded. "I was thinking she'd like to be next to her father. I know there isn't much place in there, but maybe if we move his sarcophagus aside, it could fit?"

Snow squeezed Emma's arm gently and smiled. "I think that's a great idea. She'd like that."

"I remember she brought him flowers once," Emma remembered that night well. Fighting over Graham. "She also punched me in the face."

Snow looked appalled. "What?"

"It wasn't that bad," Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I punched her too."

"And yet, somehow, you think they're in love?" Grumpy muttered under his breath.

"Grumpy!" Snow stamped her foot.

"Sorry." He went back to helping the others lower the Queen into the coffin and place the cover on top. The effect was almost immediate. Her flesh began to look more supple and alive. He nodded at the others and then looked to Emma. "Let's get this over with, Princess. I got other things to be doing with my day."

"Right." Emma nodded, more for herself. "This way then."

* * *

It was quiet as they made their way through part of the small town, towards the cemetery. There were a few curious townsfolk who peered out their windows at the Queen in her coffin, but mostly they just stayed away.

Emma led the way, alone. Her mother and the others followed behind, so it surprised her when she felt a smaller hand in her own. She looked down and saw her son looking up at her, trying to look put-together. She smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, grateful for his presence. "Glad to see you, Kid."

"Is she really gone?" Henry whispered. He wished he could go back to before he started being awful to her. Yeah, she was the Evil Queen, but she'd been his Mom. And now, it was too late. He couldn't take it back.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, she is, but I'm not ready to give up yet."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but…"Emma began, taking a shaky breath and straightened her back a little. "But I know I'll find a way to bring her back. I will find her and bring her back, if it is the last thing I do."

Henry grinned at that. "She used to say that a lot."

"Yeah, well. It's mine now. Besides, it was always an empty threat with her."

"It wasn't always though, was it? I mean, when she was the Evil Queen, she meant it."

"Probably," Emma agreed. "But you know what, Kid?"

"What?"

"This is Storybrooke and she was just a bully here. And if there's one thing you can count on with bullies, it's that their words are just that… words."

"I still loved her," Henry said, seemingly out of nowhere.

Emma stopped walking and looked down at her son. "Of course you did. You don't need to tell me that."

"Do you think she knew?"

"I think she might have doubted it," Emma said, trying to be honest. "But, I think deep down, she knew you loved her. I'm sure it's in some Mom book that your kids hate you once in a while, but they still love you."

Henry wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Ma."

"You're welcome," Emma rubbed his shoulders and ushered her forward. "Let's get this done."

"Are we going to plan our next move after that?" Henry asked, ready for an adventure. Anything, if it meant saving his Mom.

"I'm not too sure about that, Kid. It's one thing for me to try to feed my own crazy, but I don't think it would be right for me to let you chase a hopeless cause too."

Henry shrugged. "The good guys always get what they need in the end. We need her, so I think we'll find a way."

"I'm glad one of us has faith in it, cause I'm mostly just determined and a whole lot of doubt," Emma admitted.

"That's why we'll make a great team," Henry promised.

"Fine, but if it gets too hopeless, you're out. Okay?"

"Not gonna happen."

Charming and Snow had overheard the entire conversation and despite the gravity of the situation and the potential lost cause; felt a little better about getting the dwarves to preserve Regina's body.

* * *

Regina sat up on her bedroll, gasping for air. She tried to suck in air as quickly as she could.

"Regina?" Aurora's sleepy voice could be heard nearby. It didn't take the Princess long to reach the woman's side and rest a calming hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong? You need to stop that or you'll pass out."

"They- I-" Regina shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It had all felt so real. "I was in a coffin."

"It was just a bad dream," Aurora assured her. "Try to relax. Mulan and I are here. Go back to sleep."

If it weren't for the fact that Regina was incredibly tired, she would have told the young woman she didn't need them to look out for her, but instead, she laid down and closed her eyes once more. It didn't take long for sleep to reclaim her.

"Interesting."

Aurora looked over at Mulan. "What?"

"Well if the wraith brought her soul over here... I think she might be seeing something from the other side."

"Or it could just be a bad dream," Aurora pointed out.

Mulan shrugged. "Maybe."

"Well, what else can it be? She can't have her soul in both places, can she?"

* * *

**I will heart you if you review.**


	5. Chapter 4

**So, I didn't think I'd churn out an update so quickly, but here it is.**

**Hope y'all enjoy it.**

**Still setting up, but things are starting to kick into gear :D**

**Cheers,**

**AR**

* * *

If there was one thing that Regina didn't miss about the Enchanted Forest, it was the need to occasionally find one sleeping out of doors, where the bitter cold of morning could get to you. Well, that, and the lack of a proper bathroom. A toilet. A shower.

"Are you cold?" Aurora asked, interrupting Regina's train of thought. When the brunette looked her way, but said nothing, she got up to find an extra blanket.

"There's really no need, dear," Regina said softly, but a grateful look made it to her dark, bleary eyes. Her head felt fuzzy and everything seemed to hurt her eyes, yet somehow, she'd managed to convince her new friends that she'd be much more comfortable without the bandages.

"Take mine," Mulan said from across the fire.

Aurora went to Mulan's sleeping roll and grabbed up the blanket, returning to the Queen's side. She draped the blanket across her shoulders and smiled when the woman wrapped it more tightly around herself. She sat down without a word and tried not to draw any attention to it. The woman would eventually learn to ask for help.

It was Mulan who finally broke the silence. "We're going to need to pack-up soon and start heading towards the survivor's camp."

"Survivor's camp?" Regina asked, sitting up a little straighter.

"Everyone disappeared when your curse hit, all except this part of the land," Mulan supplied. "No one knows why, but those of us who remained here gathered together and setup a camp where other survivors could go."

Regina sighed. She really wasn't up to having a gathering with a camp full of people who saw her as the enemy. "I do not believe I would be a welcome addition."

"Don't be ridiculous," Aurora scoffed.

"Actually, she's right," Mulan said, looking quite serious. "They aren't going to be very happy to see her."

"Then I guess we'll have to make extra certain that no one tries to take her out," Aurora shot back. "This isn't the Queen from before."

"You don't know that."

"The Queen would never have been upset that Phillip died. She wouldn't have cared if her own mother died."

Regina flinched a little at those words. She had cared. All she'd ever wanted was her mother's love and approval. A part of her wanted to correct the redhead, but the other part of her knew that it wouldn't help her cause. And until she knew what was going on and how to get home, she wasn't about to ruin her chances.

"Fine, but if she kills anyone-"

"You needn't worry about that, dear. I can't see well enough to kill anyone."

* * *

"So where are we going to put her?" Henry asked, when they reached the Mausoleum and saw just how small the space actually was in the Mills crypt.

Emma ran her fingers through long, blonde hair and sighed. "I thought there was a little more room than this," she mused. "What if we move his aside as far as we can get it and just slide the glass coffin in next to it?"

Grumpy stood next to her and nodded. "That might work."

Emma entered the crypt, smiling a little at the plaque on the side of the sarcophagus. Henry Mills. Regina had named the son they shared after her father. She vaguely wondered what sort of man he might have been, but quickly shook it off and stepped around to the side.

"Here, let me help," Charming jogged over to the crypt to join his daughter. Together they pushed, surprised how easily it shifted out of the way. The two stumbled, just barely catching themselves, before they could fall down what appeared to be a small staircase.

"Are those stairs?"

"Wonder what's down there," Charming wondered aloud.

Snow looked shaken. "Her vault."

Father and daughter looked to her. "What?" they asked in unison.

"That must be her vault. Cora had one just like it. It's where she kept her hearts."

Emma made quick work of descending the stairs, not even caring if there were any lurking dangers. She had to see this. She stopped short, just inside the main room, causing her parents to nearly run into her. She hadn't heard them following. "Looks a little empty."

"Those there, against the wall," Snow said, walking over to the wall in question. "Each of these once held a heart." She ran her fingers across the front of the small cubbies.

"Why?" Emma asked, walking over to an opened box near the wall. She picked it up and flipped it around in her hands, wondering whose heart could have been inside. "Why would anyone want to collect hearts?"

"Once you have someone's heart, you can control them. Everything they say or do is the prerogative of the new owner." Snow took the box from Emma's hands and set it down on the tiny platform at the centre of the room.

"That's insane. I can't imagine what that must be like," Emma turned away from the wall, not wanting to be anywhere near it. The idea that someone could have complete and utter control of you, against your will, made her a little sick to her stomach. She headed further into the vault and found a few closed doors. "Any idea what's behind these?"

"Not a clue," Snow shrugged.

Emma stepped up to one and reached out to one of the doors. She jumped back when wisps of purple reached through the cracks in the door towards her. "What is that?"

Charming stepped in front of her, eyeing the door. "It's magic."

"Oh." Emma stepped back around him and again the purple wisps moved out towards her. She stepped back behind her father and the purple receded a bit. "It's me. Why does the magic want to come near me?"

"Maybe it's a curse to keep you away," Charming offered up by way of possible explanation.

"In a vault that no one would have found?" Emma asked, a little dubious. She stepped back around her father and placed her hand against the door. Immediately the purple swirled over the hard surface and the door evaporated. "Now that's kind of cool."

Charming and Snow stood, mouths gaping. The magic had reacted for her. Did Emma have magic?

Emma stepped into the room, surprised to see another glass coffin at its centre. It wasn't nearly as ornate looking as Regina's, but it seemed to do the job. There was a man inside. "Who is this? A brother?" she asked, as she made her way around to the side and gazed through the glass at him.

Charming followed Snow inside the room and stopped short when she gasped. "What? What is it?"

Snow ran to the glass and pressed her hands against it. "Daniel. This is Daniel." She blinked away the tears that were quickly forming.

Charming and Emma both shared a very confused look.

"Daniel," Snow repeated, looking at both expectantly. She shook her head. "Do you not remember why all this started?"

That finally seemed to trigger something in Charming's memory. "The man she was supposed to marry."

Snow nodded. "Her first love."

Emma couldn't help but feel a rage of jealousy bubbling up inside her. Of course the Queen was twice her age, but this part of her past wasn't something she'd considered while she wallowed at the morgue. "What happened to him?" she rasped.

"Emma, as evil as you thought Regina was before, her mother is a hundred times worse. While I couldn't keep her secret, her mother, Cora, was the one responsible for Daniel's death. She murdered him right in front of Regina."

"Ouch. I can see that scarring someone for life."

"Emma. You don't understand just how badly she was scarred. Regina used to be the most amazing woman I knew. She's the one who told me what True Love was. She saved my life. She became my step-mother, even though she didn't love my father."

"Your mother? Oh god, I'm in love with your mother?" Emma suddenly felt queasy.

"My step-mother. No, I thought I wanted another mother, but no one could ever replace the one I had." Snow felt an arm around her shoulder and smiled up at Charming, thankful for his support.

Emma felt relieved. Great. At least she didn't actually think of her as a mother. That would have made for some really awkward conversations in the future. "So this guy," Emma pointed at Daniel, "he's her first love."

"He was her true love." Well that was a poor choice of words. She knew it as soon as she saw her daughter's face fall.

"All right."

Snow leapt away from Charming and moved around the coffin to grab Emma's hands. "No. No, I'm sorry that came out wrong. She believed he was her true love. That's probably why she did all this."

"And what if it's true? What if he is and I'm just the one who believes something that isn't true?" Emma asked, suddenly defensive. She felt all her walls go up.

"Emma, you have to follow your heart. We saw what happened. You didn't just think it up. When Daniel died, she felt grief, but she didn't feel him die. You felt her. Don't let my stupid words convince you otherwise," she pleaded, desperately wanting to fix it, but she knew Emma well enough to know she'd be on guard now.

"I'll try," Emma said, stepping away from her mother and the coffin. She just wanted to get away from there. She started for the door, but turned at the last second. "Even if it is true love. It wasn't enough to bring her back."

"Emma, I told you that her soul-"

"It shouldn't matter!" Emma shouted. "It shouldn't matter, because true love's kiss is supposed to fix everything and it didn't!" The tears started again. She'd managed to go a whole four hours without them, but there they were again. "I wasn't enough," she whispered and left them there.

"Ma?"

Emma looked up from the stone floor, surprised to find her son in the vault.

Henry took one look at her tears and reached for her, hugging her around the waist. "It's not true. You're enough. You said you'll find a way and I believe it. You'll find a way to bring her home and she'll finally get a happy ever after. All of us will."

* * *

The trio made their way towards the survivor's camp, trying to avoid the guards as best as they could. Mulan thought that if she could get everyone inside without hassle, there might be time for words.

Of course, it couldn't be so easy.

A dark man seemed to appear out of nowhere, sword drawn. "Mulan."

"Lancelot!" Mulan drew her sword and faced him. "Put the sword down. No one's here to fight."

"You bring the Evil Queen, the woman who is responsible for all this, and you claim you aren't here to fight?" he growled at her. "Has she enchanted you?"

Regina stepped forward, her sight still a little bleary, but looked up at him anyways. "I am Regina."

"I know who you are."

"No. You know the Evil Queen. I am Regina," she insisted. She wasn't an innocent by any means, but she certainly wasn't her anymore. "I do not intend you or your people any harm."

"What else could you do to us, Witch? You've already cursed the rest of our land."

"Which I cannot undo, but I can try to help now."

Lancelot appeared to think about it for a moment, and then shook his head. "No." He let out a sharp whistle and guards rushed forth from the trees, surrounding them.

Mulan and Regina sighed, making sure to look at Aurora. Definitely unwelcome.

* * *

Regina stumbled and fell as she landed on the hard floor of some dingy pit. She winced at the strain on her ankle and sat back. Okay, makeshift prison. Not how she expected to end the day.

"Regina?" a soft voice came from the darkness.

Regina felt chills run up her spine and she shuffled backwards until her back hit the wall. 28 years couldn't erase that voice from her memory.

"Regina? Is that really you?"

She had never felt so terrified, than the moment her mother stepped out of the shadows.

"Aren't you going to give your mother a hug, dear? It's been so very long, since I've seen you," Cora said, her voice silken in its deception. She smiled at her daughter, but her eyes never changed.

Regina shook her head. She knew better than to trust her. She knew what this woman was capable of and now, she was trapped in a pit with her. "HELP!" she shouted, hoping anyone would listen. "HELP ME!"

Cora chuckled. "Really dear, don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

* * *

**As usual, you know the drill. Review. Feed the bard.**


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